Developing story is the process of turning an idea into a fully-formed narrative. Whether it’s an original screenplay or a rework of a well-known novel, developing a story involves breaking down the key elements and creating a clear path forward.
Create a detailed profile for your main character — the one whose journey forms the core of your story. Establish their name, age, background, personality traits and goals. They should also have a major flaw or strength that drives them to take on challenging circumstances.
Define the world of your story and establish the rules that govern it, such as technological, scientific or societal. This is especially important for stories set in futuristic or fantasy settings.
The premise is the backbone of your story. It’s the reason readers are drawn to your story. Define it with a hook, inciting incident and progressive complications that build towards your protagonist’s climax scene.
Infuse your protagonist with motivations, flaws and a super objective (or how they plan to achieve their goal). Clearly define their relationship with their antagonist.
During rising action, add obstacles and challenges that will test your protagonist’s resolve. Raise the stakes by making it harder to reach their goal, and intensify conflict as you build towards your midpoint.
At the end of your story, your characters should have learned something. What they have learned will influence who they are in the future. Use your climax scene to reveal this and wrap up any loose ends.